Automatic auxiliary tuning device



y 15, 1952 v R. E. DEARTH 2,603,119

" AUTOMATIC AUXILIARY TUNING DEVICE Filed May 25, 1950 Position For "5'' Natural 5/ 3 Position?! 4 4/0 9; 4, {g 1 Y a mso/ 20 A A 26 24 Y 4 17 Ronald E. Dearth 48 V IN V EN TOR.

Patented July 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC AUXILIARY TUNIN G DEVICE Ronald E. Dearth,,Lima;, Ohio Application'May 23, 1950, SeriaIjNo. 163512 The present invention relates to stringanchoring, tensioning and tuning devices for stringed musical instruments and has more particularreference to an attachment for a guitar, particularly a so-called Hawaiian guitar.

It is a matter of common knowledge to those familiar with guitar constructions that string tuning devices are usually at. the head end of the neck-and customarily referred to as string attaching and tuning keys. However, other guitars have been offered wherein the tuning keys or devices are at the butt end of theguitar body and close tov the bridge and tail piece. As a matter offact, the art to which the invention relates reveals that-guitar makers and users have ofifered for use the regular 'tuning keys at the customary head end of the fretted neck and optionally usable auxiliary tuning means at the opposite, that is, the butt endof the body.

Such auxiliary means is helpful to guitarists when they desire to switch quickly from a condition in which the guitar is tuned up to A natural to other situations wherein theguitar' may be tuned up, let us say, to E natural.

I have discovered the need for a quickly and easily-shiftable auxiliary string tensioning and guitar tuning device wherein, through the. me-. dium of a readily available handle, the performer may quickly and collectively change the. pitches of the second, third and fifths-strings automatically whereby the guitar may be tuned up to A, the standard pattern, and quickly shifted from A to E and then on to C sharp and from 1C sharp back to E and then back to A. It follows that with a simple feasible'and effiicient automatic tuner, auxiliary in nature, the guitarist may haveat his command facilities toenable himto have at his finger tips three distinct pattern.

tunings for a greater range of utility and playing.

As will be. evident from the specification, drawings and claims, I have evolved and produced a guitar attachment in the form of :an

automatic auxiliary string tensioning and tuna inlike numerals are employed to designate lik parts throughout the views:

and fretted finger-board and showing, more particularly, the generalconstruction and arrange-- ment of string anchoring means including the improved auxiliary tuning device;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the body, usual sixstrings, three regularly anchored and three attached to the auxiliarytuning'device, the lid onthe latter being removed; I

Figure 3 is a section, with parts iii-elevation, taken on the plane of the horizontal line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a similar section taken on the horizontal line- 44-o-f Figure 2;

Figures5 and 6 are views bas'ed'onFigured but showing the handle in two positions to which it ismoved in addition to its normal A-natural position.

Referring now to the drawings by reference numerals andlead lines and with attention 'di-- rected first to Figure 1, the numeral 8 designates a'fretted finger-board 12.

a guitar body which may be said to be conventional in form. The neck I0 is secured as usualto-the end of the body and is provided with Fixed string attaching or anchoring means 13 is shown onthe top side of'the body at the-butt end'of said body. This being an ordinary type guitar pref'erably .of a Hawaiian type, it is shown as having six conventional vibratory strings. For convenience and-with reference to Figure2, three'strings, those denoted by the-numerals I 4, l5 and-l6 have their left-hand ends stationarilyanchored onthe block-like anchor l3. These three strings are commonly referred to by performers as the first, fourth-and sixth strings. The remaining three strings are distinguished from I the first name'd strings and from each other by the numerals ll, l8j-and 19, respectively. Theflrst' three strings 14, I5 and [6 are fixed insofar as tuning is concerned. The other threestrings l1, l8 and I9, otherwise called the second, third andfifth strings are adjustable inrelationto Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the guitar body, a fragmentary portion of the neck the'first three strings for the stated automatic tuning operation. 'It is the last-named three strings I 1, l8 and 19 which are those to'be simultaneouslyacted upon and-withtheir ten sions regulated formaki-ng" a quick switch from one tuned pattern, for examplefthe standard A-pattern to two optionally usable other-tuned patterns; namely, the E and 'C-sharp patterns, denoted by the legends in Figures 4, 5 and6; I I

It Willbeunderstood that I'amnot especially, concerned with the system ofgrouping;,or'adapt-1. irig'the six strings, that'is, with three strings fixed at their left-hand ends and three strings adjustable. It is the construction of the attachment device, thatis, the device which I call the auxiliary automatic tuning attachment 20 with which I am concerned.

The attachment takes the form of a substan tially rectangular box 22 having bearings in its opposite end walls to accommodate the coasting end portions of an oscillatory rocker shaft 24. One projecting end of the rocker shaft is provided with alateral handle 26 which is engageable, when in horizontal positions with either of the outstanding stop lugs 28 or 30 as the case may be. (See Figure 2.) This rocker shaft might also be perhaps identified as a cam shaft because it is the cam functioning step with which I am concerned. Morerspecifically, one side or surface of the shaft on the interior of the box has a clearance notch 32 and the portion opposite to this provides a cam surface 34. On

the intermediate portion and projecting fromone side is a tappet or second cam element 36and on the same side and spaced longitudinally is another tappet 38 and opposite to the tappet 38 is still another properly :arranged tappet orcam 40. These several cam elements or tappets are adapted'to cooperate in proper relationship with several complemental string tensioning. levers identified by the numerals 4|, 42 and 43, respectively. Specifically, each lever is the same in construction and the description of one will suffice for all. That is to say, each lever is adapted to-fulcrum against a fulcruming rib 44 onthe interior of the box. The central portion .of the lever is apertured as at (see Figure 3) and this provides a suitable tilting or hinge connection between the lever and a supporting screw 46 therefor which transversely spans the receptacle-portion of the box. The upper end portion of theilever is; arranged so that it'will be in a pathfor wiping contact with the coacting cam means on the oscillatory shaft. The lower swingable end portion of the lever 4| has an aperture therein to accommodate the knotted end portion 41-of the string and the last-named aperture is in alignment with coacting holes 48 and 49 ,in, the respective inner and outer vertical walls of the box. --These several holes 48 and 49 including the hole in the lower end portion of the lever eoactin allowing the string to'be threaded" therethrough. In other words, in putting a string on the guitar the leading end is threaded through the holes from left to right in Figure 3 and the non knottedend (not'shown) is, of cours'e,attached in-the usual way to the tuning keys on the head atthe end of the fretted finger-board or. neck (not shown). Each. string tensioning lever unitalso includes a stop screw. There are three of these and for convenience of identifica-: tion they are referred to as 4la, 42a and 43a (see Figure.2) -'I'hat is to say, they line up respectively with the levers 4 I, 42 and 43 in thenumeral order. disclosed. These stop screws 41a, 42a and 43a. are more or less optional, fine tuning devices. That is-to say, they are not absolutely essential but are preferable in the over-all assemblage of means shown and claimed. Or, to put it otherwise, by having an oscillatory rocker shaft in a :box and having three pivotally mounted levers 4!, 42 and 43 in the same box having their upper. ends resting in camming relation with thetappets or cam elements on the shaft, it is obvious that this coaction between the shaft and levers alone would serve to rock the levers baclg a d forth and toput the strings or cam shaft 24.

under tension. However, it may be desirable to make some fine tuning adjustment in any one of the several levers and this is accomplished by making resort to the extra or fine tuning set screws 4la, 42a and 43a. in an obvious manner. The bottom of the attachment box is secured to the top of the guitar by screws or the like as shown at 5B in Figure 3. The open top of the box is closed in by an appropriate lid or cover 5|.

Briefly summarized, the invention has to do with three strings, l4, l5 and I6, fixedly anchored to the anchoring block l3 and three strings l1, I8 and I9 anchored on their respective tiltable levers 4|, 42 and 43 in a box which appropriately houses the levers. The levers rest in camming contact with cam means on the oscillatory rocker The latter is adjusted to any one of three positions (Figures 4, 5 and 6, respectively) for simultaneously and automatically tuning the several strings H, l8 and I9 in relation to the relatively fixed strings l4, l5 and I6. With the handle 26 in the inward or forward horizontal position shown in Figure 4, all six of the strings are in which may be called the normalv from the perpendicular position of Figure 5 to that in the horizontal rearward position in Figure 6, a further adjustment of the several leversin conjunction with their attached strings estab-' lishes the C-sharp tuning pattern.

I shall not attempt to name all of the strings by their letter names or show their relationships by indicating the pitch of each in relation to A on thepiano and their relationships when they are tension'ed and tuned to the various stages in Figures 4, 5 and 6, for, as before stated, it isthe structure of the attachment box 20 and the mechanism therein which constitutes the invention hereinafter claimed.

Although the" instrument herein disclosed has six strings, it is to be understood that the number of strings could be from, let us say, four to eight, more or less.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering/the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes 'in the shape, size and arrangement of-details coming within th field'of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired. a

Having described the invention, what is claimed as newis:

l. A guitar string anchoring and automatic tuning attachment comprising a casing, a rocker shaft mounted horizontally for'oscillat'ion in said casing and provided with individual cams at longitudinally spaced points and provided atone end, exteriorly of the casing, with a handle, a

plurality of fiat plate members hingedly mounted" within the confines of saidcasing in close proximity ,to said cams, said plate'members constituting levers, the upper ends thereofv being engageable with their respective cams, the lower ends of said members being apertured, and coacting walls of said casing being apertured and the various apertures being in suitable alignment with each other to accommodate strings and to permit the same to be attached to said levers.

2. A guitar string anchoring and variable tuning attachment comprising a box-like casing having a flat bottom adapted to be fastened on a guitar and having front and rear walls joined at their respective outer ends by end walls, the lower end portion of said front wall being provided with a plurality of apertures through which individual strings are adapted to pass, a horizontal rib on the interior of said front wall, said rib constituting a fulcruming element, a horizontally disposed rocker shaft mounted for oscillation in said casing and provided with longitudinally spaced cams, a handle located exteriorly of one end of the casing and connected to the corresponding end of said rocker shaft, a plurality of flat plate members located in said casing between the rocker shaft and front wall of the casing, said plate members constituting individual levers and said levers being fulcrumed and adapted to rock on said fulcruming element, the upper end portions of the respective levers being cooperable with their respective cams and the lower ends of said levers be apertured and the apertures being in alignment with the coacting apertures in said front wall, and a removable lid for the open top of said casing.

3. The structure specified in claim 2 wherein the rear wall of said casing is also provided with apertures, the latter being in alignment with the respective apertures in said front Wall to facilitate the step of threading strings through the apertures in the rear wall, apertures in the lower ends of the levers and then through the apertures in the front wall.

4. The structure specified in claim 2 in conjunction with supporting screws piercing and mounted in the front and rear walls and also piercing said rib, the levers being pivotally mounted on the respective supporting screws.

5. The structure specified in claim 4 and a plurality of individual selectively usable set screws mounted in the rear wall of said casing and aligned with an engageable with the upper end portions of said levers for checking the swinging movement of the levers in directions toward said rear wall.

RONALD E. DEARTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,196,531 Larisch Apr. 9, 1940 2,323,969 Biederman July 13, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,913 Norway Oct. 6, 1909 

